Soccer Falls on Road in SEC Play at Georgia

ATHENS, Ga. – While going back on the road in Southeastern Conference play for the first time in two weeks, the LSU Soccer team fell by a 3-0 margin to the Georgia Bulldogs as the hosts scored three unanswered to secure a valuable three points in the league standings on Sunday afternoon at the Turner Soccer Complex.

While the Tigers (6-9, 1-6 SEC) dropped their fifth-straight match in league play this season, the Bulldogs (4-9-1, 1-6) earned their first SEC win of the year while snapping a five-game skid of their own.

The Tigers nearly found the early opening in the very first minute of the match when Alex Thomas’ interception in midfield sprung Summer Clarke with a free run at the Bulldog back line. Jorian Baucom peeled off the shoulder of her defender at the top of the box, but Clarke’s through ball was a touch heavy as the ball was scooped up by Georgia goalkeeper Louise Hogrell.

The Bulldogs nearly broke the deadlock on seven minutes when Lauren Tanner struck the post with an open look from the right side of the box and leading scorer Marion Crowder skied the rebound over the crossbar. But Crowder would not be denied a minute later when she one-timed Kelsey Killeen’s square ball into the back of the net for a 1-0 lead with her sixth goal of the season at the 7:59 mark.

Senior Delaney Sheehan nearly equalized straightaway on the other end when her curling effort from 18 yards was inches wide of the right post in the 10th minute. Redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Caroline Brockmeier kept the deficit at one goal with a diving save to her right to deny Tanner at the far post in the 13th minute.

Clarke went close for the Tigers again at the 17-minute mark with an open look from Baucom’s pull back to the penalty spot, but she was unable to get a clean strike as Hogrell was positioned for the save.

The hosts doubled their lead through Becca Rasmussen in the 20th minute as she controlled the rebound at the top of the box and side-footed a shot inside the top-left corner of the net for her first goal of the season. Rasmussen found the target at the 19:14 mark after the Tigers were unable to clear their lines from Taylor Donohue’s corner kick midway through the first half.

The Bulldogs were back on the attack after the break with Delaney Fechalos seemingly scoring a third for the home side with a tap-in from inside the six-yard box, but Brockmeier somehow recovered for the sprawling save to keep it 2-0 in the 48th minute. Brockmeier matched her season high of nine saves that she last set against 15th-ranked Florida on Sept. 30.

Killeen made it 3-0 with the clock approaching the hour mark as she was assisted by Tanner for her third goal of the season in the 58th minute of play. Tanner was credited with her fourth assist of the 2016 season.

The Tigers head back on the road in SEC play next weekend with a trip to Starkville, Mississippi, where they face the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Friday in a game that is set to kick off at 7 p.m. CT on the SEC Network+. They return home on the night of Thursday, Oct. 20, for a match against Auburn that kicks off at 6 p.m. CT on the SEC Network.